Loaded Spicy Nachos

After making quesadillas or enchiladas, there are usually a couple tortillas leftover and they usually stay in my refrigerator until I cut them into triangles, toss with little chilli powder, salt & oil and bake when craving something crisp. Sometimes, I cut them into thin strips and pop them in the microwave and it makes for a great topping for soups such as this black bean soup or this.

Anyway, wanting to jazz up the tortilla chips that I had baked, i topped them off with some onions, jalapenos, bell peppers, tomatoes & some cheese and baked them for a while longer - the results were good (see pic.) and so the next time, I decided to try making nachos like the appetizers that are served in several restaurants but of course a veggie version of it. I had a pack of Boca Meatless Ground burger in my freezer so decided to put that to good use. I made a thick spicy chilli and topped off with some fresh onions, tomatoes and cheese... it was delicious, filling and the texture was good too. I liked the ground meatless burger but I think black beans should work well too.

LOADED SPICY NACHOS (VEGGIE) - Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:
Whole wheat tortillas - 3, cut into small triangles
Onions - 2 tbsp, chopped
Tomato - 2 tbsp, chopped
Low Fat Sour Cream - as a topping (recommended since chili is spicy)
Coriander leaves / Cilantro - 2 tbsp, chopped
Cheddar Cheese + Mozzarella cheese combination - 3 to 4 ounces
Olive oil - 1 tbsp (for making tortilla chips) + little oil spray to coat pan.

For the Vegetarian Chili:
Boca Meatless Ground Burger - half packet (or black beans half cup)
Onion - half, chopped
Jalapenos - 2 big, chopped
Canned whole tomatoes - 1 tomato with a third cup juice, crushed
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - quarter tsp
Cumin powder - half tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

Method:
1) For the Chili: Heat oil in a pan, and add chopped jalapenos & onions. I can't remember why I didn't add garlic since I add garlic to a lot of the dishes I make. Anyways... when translucent, add the crushed tomato, along with the masala powders & salt. Allow this to cook for a few minutes before adding the Boca ground burger - which resembles small crumbles of soy & are quite flavorful themselves. Ensure that there is enough liquid or add a bit of water. Allow this to simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Cook till very thick and remove from the stove.

2) For the Baked Tortilla chips: Spray a sheet pan with some oil. Toss the tortilla trianges with some salt & olive oil ( I skipped the chilli powder since the chili was going to be spicy anyway). Bake in a 375F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes till crisp, turning them over once in between.

3) For the Nachos: Put the crisp baked chips together so they overlap - don't spread them out too thin... pour the chilli on it evenly and spread it around. Top with the shredded cheeses and return to the oven for about 5 to 7 more minutes or till the cheese melts and the dish is heated through.

4) Once out of the oven, top them the chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves and put a nice dollop of sour cream in the middle. Enjoy.

My husband kept picking off from the sides even as I was attempting to take pictures - he's usually ravenous after getting back from work - who isn't? But I asked him to stop midway and hold still so here's a snap of the bite he was trying to sneak... :)